But administrators would be trained so that they could identify who should be paying for their treatment.Gareth James of the National Association of Head Teachers said school heads would have "grave concerns" about becoming involved in this area.Gloria Mills, head of equal opportunities at Unison, said: "It is a disgrace that the Government could suggest that social workers or ambulance staff should provide an immigration service on the cheap," she said."We do not believe that any amount of training could possibly equip health or council staff to act in a fair, effective or appropriate way."Mr Moraes said that no previous Home Secretary had attempted to give powers over immigration matters to public figures outside the immigration service."This is a new phase of control because it is a form of internal control, however innocuous it may look, and separated for the first time from the traditional frontier checks," he said. The Department of Health will work on better ways to control access to free NHS treatment for those not entitled to receive it.The Home Office said no one needing emergency treatment would be turned away and doctors would also not be allowed to inform on patients' status as that would breach patient confidentiality. However, Mr Howard said that 13,000 illegal immigrants had been detected last year although the real number was "considerably above that". In a much-criticised multiplication exercise, he said that if they had each claimed pounds 6,500 a year in benefits they could have cost the taxpayer nearly pounds 100m."Some claimants enter the country illegally or break their conditions of entry then milk the system for all they can get, occasionally using a string of false identities," Mr Howard said.Four government departments will work closely with the Home Office on these proposals - prompting most concern the Department of Education and Employment will encourage headteachers to see if any of their pupils come from families of illegal immigrants or those who have outstayed their visitors' permits and will look at tightening access to student awards or loans.The Department of the Environment will ensure that people from abroad will not be entitled to council houses; the Department of Social Security has already tightened up procedures to stop illegal immigrants claiming income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit but will now consider aligning non-contributory benefits - child benefit and family credit - with immigration status. GLENDA COOPER and HEATHER MILLS Plans to use health administrators, teachers, benefit and housing officials to check for illegal immigrants were yesterday condemned as a "snooper's charter".The new measures to train staff in public services to detect and report suspected illegal entrants would intensify a "climate of fear" felt by legitimate British citizens from ethnic minorities, their support groups said yesterday.Coming so soon after the political row that followed the comments by Sir Paul Condon, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, linking race and mugging, Mr Howard's latest initiative is seen as another move against the black community.Claude Moraes, director of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, accused Mr Howard of "playing a race card".Unions dismissed the plans as providing an "immigration service on the cheap".

He said he was "trying hard" to help Aslef find a way forward.. A spokesman for the Underground said: "We felt in the public interest that we should have a further meeting in order to clarify our position."Yesterday British Rail managed to increase the number of services available during the strike by drivers While last Friday 220 trains ran, yesterday there were 330. A spokesman for management confirmed, however, that not one Aslef driver crossed picket lines and none were expected to. All the trains operated yesterday were crewed by members of the RMT transport union, which voted against strike action.Paul Watkinson, personnel director at BR, called on the union to reballot its members. Otherwise London Underground could seek an injunction to stop the industrial action.That would delay the first strike on the Tube network for three or four weeks. If the union wants to talk they are more than welcome, but 3 per cent is all we can offer."If management at London Underground increases its package to match the 3 per cent proposal by British Rail, union leaders would probably be forced to put it to a ballot. We started off with a 2.5 per cent offer, we put it up to 3 per cent and then offered bonuses of up to pounds 200 Aslef has moved nowhere.

That has since been withdrawn.Last night, a BR spokesman said Mr Adams had called for talks last Friday, but had insisted on an increase in the basic offer and negotiations were therefore seen to be impossible.The spokesman added: "We have been the ones who have been flexible. Just before the first strike BR offered up to pounds 200 in bonuses on top of the 3 per cent dependent on financial performance of the train operators. "We are prepared to be flexible in negotiations if they will come to us with a new set of proposals which amount to an improved offer."He said that any new proposals would be put to the membership for acceptance or rejection. Management sources at London Underground said that while their negotiators were anxious to "clarify" their position, there was unlikely to be a change in the 2.75 per cent offer.Lew Adams, general secretary of Aslef, the train drivers' union, said that British Rail now had a nine-day "window of opportunity" before the next stoppage. The doctors say the recovery will be full, without any after-effects.". BARRIE CLEMENT Labour Editor Management and unions enter talks today aimed at averting strikes on London Underground as British Rail drivers agreed to be "flexible" over their demand for an inflation-plus pay rise.However, the prospects of an imminent settlement of the disputes still looked remote as train drivers brought the network to a virtual standstill yesterday and union leaders at London Underground insisted that they needed a substantial increase in their 2.75 per cent offer.More than 2,000 Tube drivers are today expected to join their colleagues on London Underground in voting for strikes, beginning with a 24-hour walkout on Thursday next week to coincide with the third day-long strike by BR drivers.